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Rock and Mineral Dictionary |
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| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| System | Number of Crystallographic Axes | Number of Planes of Symmetry | Number of Axes of Symmetry | Center of Symmetry | Refractivity | Shapes | Gems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubic systems | 3 crystallographic axes (of equal length) at right angles to each other | 9 | 13 axes (3 tetragonal, 4 trigonal, 6 digonal) | Yes | singly refractive |   |
diamond, garnet, spinel |
| Tetragonal systems | 3 crystallographic axes at right angles to each other - two of equal length, one longer or shorter | 5 | 5 axes (4 tetragonal, 1 trigonal) | Yes | doubly refractive |   |
rutile, idocrase, zircon |
| Hexagonal systems | 4 crystallographic axes, three of equal length, intersecting at 60 degree angles, the other three are longer or shorter and perpendicular to the first three | 7 | 7 axes (1 hexagonal, 6 digonal) | Yes | doubly refractive | 6-sided prism terminating in a single face | apatite, aquamarine, emerald |
| Trigonal systems | 4 crystallographic axes, three of equal length, intersecting at 60 degree angles, the other three are longer or shorter and perpendicular to the first three | 3 | 4 axes (1 trigonal, 2 digonal) | Yes | doubly refractive |  |
quartz, ruby, sapphire, tourmaline |
| Orthorhombic systems | 3 crystallographic axes of different lengths at right angles to each other | 3 | 3 axes (3 digonal) | Yes | doubly refractive | - | chrysoberyl, peridot, topaz |
| Monoclinic systems | 3 crystallographic axes of different lengths, 2 at right angles to each other, the third at a different angle | 1 | 1 axis (1 digonal) | Yes | doubly refractive |  |
brazilianite, kunzite, moonstone, jade (nephrite, jadeite), malachite, sphene |
| Triclinic systems | 3 crystallographic axes of different lengths, all at different angles | none | none | Yes | doubly refractive | - | amazonite, axinite, Labradorite, rhodonite, turquoise |
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Rock and Mineral Dictionary |
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| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
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